Suspended storage system for pharmacy

ABSTRACT

A storage system for a pharmacy that has a frame containing a rack-like structure with a plurality of storage carriers detachably suspended therefrom. The carriers are sized to receive filled prescription orders and the like and include individual identifiers that facilitate locating the carriers at a specific location on the rack-like structure. Preferably, the storage system includes a tracking system that detects, monitors, and displays to a worker the location of the storage carrier containing a particular customer&#39;s prescription order, thereby providing easy retrieval of the customer&#39;s prescription order.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/223,308, filed on Aug. 18, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,887,146, Issued on Feb. 15, 2011, entitled “Suspended Storage System for Pharmacy,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/313,305 filed on Aug. 18, 2001. Each of these applications is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cost-effective and space-saving device and system for storing and retrieving prescription orders for customer pickup and the like. In particular, it includes a frame having a rack-like structure with a plurality of carriers detachably suspended therefrom. The carriers are sized to receive filled prescription orders and the like and include identifiers that facilitate locating the carriers at a specific location on the rack-like structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical local retail pharmacy fills thousands of prescription orders per week. Moreover, as the general population ages and new beneficial drugs are introduced, prescription order volumes to be filled at retail pharmacies are expected to double within the next few years. This present and expected increase in order volume places enormous pressure on pharmacists and other pharmacy workers, who strive to fill each order efficiently, accurately and quickly.

Retail pharmacies typically maintain a will-call area that contains filled prescription orders waiting for customer pickup. As the volume of prescription orders filled at a typical retail pharmacies increases, the amount of physical storage needed to hold these filled prescriptions also must necessarily increase. However, most retail pharmacies do not have the ability to expand their available square footage to accommodate a larger storage area. As a result, the will-call pick-up storage areas at many retail pharmacies have become unwieldy and inefficient.

In particular, most retail pharmacies store filled prescription orders on fixed shelves or in storage containers received on fixed bins (collectively referred to as bins herein) that are spaced apart from each other to allow a worker to walk between them to access the bins. Typically, these bins are identified and arranged by a unique alphabetic letter identifier such as “A”, “B”, “C”, etc., and the pharmacy worker places filled prescription orders in the appropriate bin corresponding to the first letter of a customer's last name. Typically, prescription orders for different customers having the same first letter of their last name are all placed in the same bin in random order. Accordingly, a pharmacy worker must sort through all of the prescription orders in a particular bin in order to find a particular customer's order. Sometimes, a pharmacy worker may inadvertently grab and distribute the wrong prescription order from collection of prescription orders in the bin, thereby compromising the safety of the ultimate taker of the prescription drug. The likelihood of such inadvertent distribution of a filled prescription to the wrong recipient is particularly increased where customers having the same or similar names are compiled in the same location in the will-call storage area.

More recently, some pharmacies have installed fixed will-call storage racks containing a plurality of relatively small bins therein. Each bin is provided with a unique identifier such as a number, and only one prescription order is placed in each bin. Accordingly, a worker can record which bin number a particular customer's prescription order has been placed into, and retrieve this information when the customer arrives to pick-up their prescription order, thereby facilitating easy retrieval of the customers' filled order from the identified bin without having to sort through other customer's filled orders in that bin.

While these types of systems facilitate locating and retrieving a customer's prescription order, they require a large number of individually-identified bins in order for a large pharmacy to have enough storage bins to accommodate its workload. Moreover, suitable worker passage ways must also be available to allow workers to access all of the bins. In practice, an effective quantity of bins and their related passage ways require a large amount of floor space. However, many pharmacies, especially existing retail pharmacies, frequently do not have sufficient floor space to accommodate an appropriate amount of bins effectively into an existing storage area.

Moreover, as the volume of prescription orders handled by a particular pharmacy increases and the related technology that allows pharmacies to fill these orders even quicker improves, pharmacies will require even more storage space in which to effectively place filled prescription orders awaiting customer pick-up.

In addition, known will-call storage areas are usually positioned adjacent to customer pick-up areas, and the contents of bins containing a first customer's prescription order awaiting pick-up in some known will-call storage devices can sometimes be viewed by other customers when picking up their own prescription orders. Accordingly, such devices can compromise the privacy of the first customer's medical information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, despite the benefits of the known prescription order storage devices and systems, there remains a need for a cost effective, space saving, will-call storage system that maximizes the number of storage carriers available in a limited area, but that also allows easy identification and access to all storage carriers in the system. In addition to other benefits that will become apparent in the following disclosure, the present invention fulfills these needs.

The present invention is a storage system for a pharmacy that has a frame containing a rack-like structure with a plurality of storage carriers detachably suspended therefrom. The carriers are sized to receive filled prescription orders and the like and include individual identifiers that facilitate locating the carriers at a specific location on the rack-like structure.

A prescription order is placed into one of the storage containers and the location of that storage container in the rack-like structure is recorded by the pharmacy worker, or a pharmacy order prescription tracking system. Preferably, the rack-like structure is a plurality of horizontally aligned bars aligned vertically with respect to each other, thereby maximizing the number of storage carriers that may fit within the frame.

Customer identification and the contents of the storage carrier retaining a customer's prescription order remain concealed within the storage carrier, thereby protecting customer privacy. Moreover, since individual prescription orders are physically separated from each other for each customer, and since the unique identifiers used to track and locate a particular customer's prescription order within the system are not necessarily related to the customers' last names, the likelihood of inadvertent distribution of a filled prescription order to the wrong customer is greatly reduced.

Preferably, the storage system includes a tracking system that detects, monitors, and displays to a worker the location of the storage carrier containing a particular customer's prescription order, thereby providing easy retrieval of the customer's prescription order.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric top left side view of a storage cabinet having a plurality of storage carriers thereon in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of the rack-like structure of the storage cabinet in FIG. 1 showing a possible interaction with a storage carrier.

FIG. 3 is an isometric top left side view of a storage cabinet having a plurality of storage carriers thereon in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partial view of the rack-like structure of the storage cabinet in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partial view of the rack-like structure of the storage cabinet in FIG. 3 showing a possible interaction with a storage carrier.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial view of an alternative embodiment of the hook portion of a storage carrier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an isometric top left side view of a storage cabinet having a plurality of storage carriers thereon in accordance with a second alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partial view of the rack-like structure of the storage cabinet in FIG. 7 showing a possible interaction with a storage carrier.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the mounting portion of a storage carrier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion of the storage carrier of FIG. 9 taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A cost effective, space-saving suspended storage carrier storage device 20 that maximizes the number of storage carriers 22 available in a limited amount of floor space of a pharmacy and a related system for using the space-saving suspended storage carrier storage device 20 is shown in FIGS. 1-10.

A. Suspended Storage Carriers

As shown in FIGS. 1 & 2, the storage device 20 includes a frame, which is preferably a vertical cabinet 24 having an opening 26 on one side to provide internal access to the cabinet 24. A rack-like structure, such as the plurality of horizontally-aligned bars 28 a-e positioned vertically within the cabinet 24 with respect to each other, are operably secured within the cabinet 24.

Each bar 28 a-e includes identifiers 30 thereon, with each identifier 30 having a unique code that is readable by a pharmacy worker or the like. Preferably, the unique identifiers 30 are logically organized. For example, each identifier 30 includes a letter code to denote a specific rod 28 a-e within the cabinet and a sequential number code to denote a logical sequence of identifiers 30 on that specific rod 28 a-e.

A plurality of suspended storage carriers 22 are detachably secured to the rack-like structure. As best shown in FIG. 2, each storage carrier includes a receptacle portion 32, such as an open-ended bag, and a mounting portion 34, such to as a hook 36, for detachably securing to the rack-like structure. The hook is sized to operably engage the rod 28 a-e, thereby suspending the bag below the rod 28 a-e.

The bag is sized and shaped to receive filled prescription orders and the like therein. More preferably, each receptacle portion 32 includes a left side 38 and right side 40 operably secured together with creased forward and aft portions 42, 44, respectfully, as shown thereby allowing the left and right sides 38, 40 to be compressed together should the contents of the receptacle portion 32 be smaller than the maximum volume of the receptacle portion 32.

Each storage carrier 22 includes a unique identifier thereon that facilitate locating the carrier at a specific location on the rack-like structure. The identifier can be a visual identifier 50 that is easily readable by a pharmacy worker or the like, and/or the identifier can be an electronic identifier 52 (FIG. 9) that is readable by a computer system.

Preferably, each unique visual identifier 50 on the storage carriers 22 corresponds with a unique visual identifier 30 on the rod 28 a-e. Accordingly, a worker can easily locate the position along a rod 28 a-e wherein the storage carrier 22 should be placed. More preferably, the unique visual identifiers 30, 50 on the rod and storage carriers 22 are color-coded. For example, a yellow colored storage carrier 22 is positioned adjacent to a yellow identifier 30 on the rod 28 a-e and a red color storage carrier 22 is positioned adjacent to a red identifier 30 on the rod. Such color-coding provides an easy visual comparison to determine if a storage carrier 22 is properly located on the rod 28 a-e.

Preferably, the mounting portion 34 of the storage carriers 22 and the visual identifiers 30 on the rod 28 a-e are slidable along the rod 28 a-e. Accordingly, as additional storage carriers 22 must be stored on the rod 28 a-e, the storage carriers 22 already positioned on the rod 28 a-e may be compressed together to make room for additional storage carriers 22 and visual identifiers 30.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 3-6, an alternative rack-like structure is disclosed within the frame 24. This structure includes a rod 28 a-e operably secured to the frame 24 with detachable docking portions 60 operably received thereon as shown.

Each docking portion 60 includes one or more spaced-apart slots 62 for receiving the hook 36 of the storage carrier 22 therethrough. Adjacent to each slot 62 is a unique visual identifier 50 that is readable by a pharmacy worker or the like.

Preferably, near each slot 62 is a sensor 64 for detecting the presence of the hook 36 therein. The sensor 64 is in communication with the computer system. More preferably, transducers 66 in communication with the computer system are also secured to the docking portion 60 adjacent to each slot 62.

The sensors 64 and transducers 66 operably engage the computer system. For example, as best shown in FIG. 4, each docking portion 60 operably engages a rail 68 positioned parallel to the rod 28 a. The rail 68 includes electrically conductive portions 70 that operably engage mating conductive portions on the docking portion 60, thereby operably connecting the sensors 64 and transducers 66 to the computer system. Preferably, the mounting portions 34 of the storage carriers 22 are slidably received on the rod 28 a and rail 68. Accordingly, as additional storage carriers 22 must be stored on the rod 28 a, the storage carriers 22 already positioned on the rod 28 a and their related docking portion 60 may be compressed together to make room for additional storage carriers 22 and docking portions 60.

Referring to FIGS. 7-10, an alternative mounting portion 34′ is disclosed. In this embodiment, the rack-like structure is an elongate member 80 a-e having a plurality of substantially T-shaped slots 82 therealong. The mounting portion 34′ includes a hook 36′ having a T-shaped portion 84 that operably engages a T-shaped slot 82 to detachably secure each storage carrier 22 to the rack-like structure.

Preferably, adjacent to each T-shaped slot 82 is a unique visual identifier 30 that is readable by a pharmacy worker or the like, a sensor 64 for detecting the presence of the T-shaped portion 84 therein, and a transducer 66. Preferably, the sensor 64 and transducer 66 are in communication with the computer system. For example, as best shown in FIG. 8, the rack-like structure includes electrically conductive portions 70 that operably connect the sensors 64 and transducers 66 to the computer system.

If desired, the shape of each hook 36′ on each storage carrier 22 may be slightly different from the shape of other hooks 36′ on other storage carriers 22 in the system. Similarly, the shape of each slot 82 for engaging the hook 36′ is sized to only operably receive one particularly-shaped hook 36′ therein. Accordingly, the hooks 36′ essentially serve as keys that can only be received into one slot 82 in the storage device 20, thereby mechanically preventing a pharmacy worker from inadvertently placing a storage carrier 22 in the wrong location in the storage device 20.

Similarly, the hooks 36, 36′ and related slots 62, 82 can include specific coding that is readable by the computer system to thereby allow the computer system to verify if the correctly identified storage carrier 22 has been placed in the correct slot 36, 36′ in the storage system. If the computer system detects improper placement of a storage carrier 22, it can alert a pharmacy worker of the discrepancy, for example by activating the transducer adjacent to the slot containing the wrong storage carrier 22, or by displaying the error on a computer display within the pharmacy.

If desired, wheels or casters may be positioned below the frame 24 to allow the entire frame 24 to be moved easily within the pharmacy. In addition, the entire storage device 20 and related rack-like structure can be sized to be carried easily, thereby allowing additional storage devices 20 to rest on existing pharmacy countertops and the like, and be added and easily removed on a temporary basis as needed.

B. System for using Suspended Storage Carrier

A pharmacy worker uses the space-saving suspended storage carrier storage device 20 for routine pharmacy storage operations and the like such as for storing filled customer prescriptions awaiting customer pick-up. In general, a pharmacy worker first locates an empty storage carrier 22, either by finding an empty storage carrier 22 already on the rack-like structure, or using an empty storage carrier 22 stored away from the rack-like structure. The pharmacy worker then places the filled prescription in the storage carrier 22 and records the unique identifier 50, 52 associated with that storage carrier 22. The worker then places the storage carrier 22 containing the filled prescription onto the rack-like structure adjacent to a visual identifier 30 on the rack-like structure. In cases where there is no electronic tracking of the storage carrier, the worker places the storage carrier on the rack-like structure at the location of the visual identifier 30 corresponding with the matching unique code found on the visual identifier 50 on the storage carrier 22.

When a customer returns to pickup his or her order, the pharmacy worker consults the information that coordinates that particular customer with the visual identifier 30 on the rack-like structure associated with the location of the storage container 22 in which his or her prescription is residing. The worker then goes to that particular location on the rack-like structure and removes the storage carrier 22 from that location. He or she then removes the filled prescription from that storage carrier 22 and hands it to the customer. Since individual prescription orders are physically separated from each other for each customer, and since the unique identifiers used to track and locate a particular customer's prescription order within the system are not necessarily related to the customers' last names, the likelihood of inadvertent distribution of a filled prescription order to the wrong customer is greatly reduced.

It can be appreciated that these steps may be performed purely manually, or with the assistance of a suitable electronics to facilitate these tracking and data compilation and retrieval tasks. In particular, a customer's prescription order and/or the storage carrier 22 in which it is placed can include a uniquely coded tag 90 (FIGS. 6 & 9), such as a bar code or a more sophisticated tracking device, such as a radio-frequency identification tag that is part of a system that locates objects through electromagnetic interrogation of a spatial region to determine the presence of the tag. The tag 90 travels with the prescription order and/or the storage carrier 22 throughout the pharmacy and is readable by appropriate sensors 64 in communication with the computer system. The computer system compiles and maintains a database that correlates a particular customer with a particular uniquely coded tag 90.

Such tags 90 and their related sensors 64 are generally well understood. An exemplar bar code tag and related reader may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,802 to Sakai, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Similarly, an electromagnetic interrogation tag system may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,756 to Engellenner, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Similarly, each location in the rack-like structure of the space-saving storage device can include appropriate sensors 90 to detect the presence of a tag 90, which is operably secured to the mounting portion 34, 34′ of the storage carrier 22 as shown in FIGS. 5 & 8. The sensors 90 are in communication with the computer system, which uses this location detection information and correlates it with the customer information associated with the filled prescription order contained in the storage carrier 22. This correlation usually includes correlating the visual identifier 30 of the slot 62, 82 in the rack-like structure with the customer information. Preferably, the computer system includes an interface, such as a monitor and keyboard, for allowing a pharmacy worker to access and display this information.

Accordingly, when a customer returns to pick-up their prescription, the pharmacy worker may access the computer system to determine the visual identifier 30 associated with the particular location on the rack-like structure holding the storage carrier 22 containing that particular customer's order. He or she then simply removes the storage carrier 22 adjacent to that visual identifier 30 on the rack-like structure and opens the storage carrier 22 to remove the customer's order.

It can be appreciated that the computer system can associate the tag 90 installed on the storage carrier 22 with the customer's order. Accordingly, in such cases, the worker need not necessarily position or correlate the visual identifier 50 on the storage carrier 22 with the visual identifier 30 on the rack-like structure. The computer system can automatically correlate the location of the customer's prescription order on the rack-like structure with the customer information simply by the worker inserting the mounting portion 34, 34′ of the storage carrier 22 into any available slot 62, 82 on the rack-like structure.

Preferably and as best shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 8 each location for securing the hook 36, 36′ of the storage carrier 22 includes at least one transducer 66, such as one or more lights or speakers thereon. The transducers 66 are independently operable and in communication with the computer system. Accordingly, the computer system can command the transducers 66 based on predefined criteria. For example, if a pharmacy worker enters into the computer system a particular customer's name, the computer system can not only display the correct location identifier 30 on the rack-like structure below which to find the storage carrier 22 containing the customer's prescription order, it can also illuminate a light adjacent to that particular storage carrier 22 to facilitate finding it in the system.

Similarly, the computer system can detect and illuminate lights adjacent to empty storage carriers 22 that are available to receive new prescription orders. Also, the computer system can include a timing element used to track when filled prescriptions within storage carriers 22 that have remained in a particular storage carrier 22 on the rack-like structure beyond a predetermined time. The computer system can then flag such overdue pickups to a pharmacy worker by displaying such information on the monitor and/or activating the transducers 66 adjacent to the storage carriers containing the overdue prescription orders.

Preferably, the transducers 90 can send different signals to a pharmacy worker. For example, empty storage carriers 22 can be identified with a green light, storage carriers 22 containing filled prescription orders that are overdue for pickup can be identified with a red light, and a particular storage carrier 22 containing a particularly flagged customer's order can be identified by a flashing yellow light.

As an additional safety measure the computer system can also detect when a storage carrier 22 containing a particular customer prescription order has been removed from the rack-like structure. Accordingly, the computer system can correlate the identification of a current customer transaction, such as a current pharmacy prescription payment transaction or pharmacy worker input of that customer's name into the computer identification and tracking system to determine the location in the storage cabinet of that customer's prescription order, and signal the pharmacy worker if the wrong storage carrier 22 has been removed from the storage cabinet. Such signaling can include displaying the discrepancy on the computer display and/or activating one or more transducers such as flashing lights and audible alarms near the improperly removed storage carrier 22.

In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of computer programming, the present invention is described above with reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations that are performed by various computer systems. Such acts and operations are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed and may be associated with the operating system or the application program as appropriate. It will be appreciated that the acts and symbolically represented operations include the manipulation by a CPU of electrical signals representing data bits, which causes a resulting transformation or reduction of the electrical signal representation, and the maintenance of data bits at memory locations in a memory system to thereby reconfigure or otherwise alter the computer system operation, as well as other processing of signals. The memory locations where data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, or optical properties corresponding to the data bits.

In view of the wide variety of embodiments to which the principles of the invention can be applied, it should be apparent that the detailed embodiments are illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, the claimed invention includes all such modifications as may come within the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereto. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A prescription storage apparatus, comprising: a computer coupled to memory for storing a database that contains unique identifiers associated with at least one prescription; a transmitter coupled to the computer for transmitting signals that include at least one of the unique identifiers; a rack-like structure having at least one bar; at least one storage carrier identified by at least one unique identifier, the at least one storage carrier operably securable to the at least one bar of the rack-like structure, the at least one storage carrier including a mounting portion for operably securing the at least one storage carrier to the rack-like structure and a receptacle portion for receiving at least one prescription, the at least one storage carrier further including: a receiver for receiving signals emitted by the transmitter; and a transducer that is activated when the receiver receives a signal that includes the unique identifier associated with the at least one storage carrier.
 2. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unique identifiers associated with the at least one prescription are each associated with at least one customer.
 3. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits signals that include radio waves.
 4. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer is a light that illuminates when activated.
 5. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 4, wherein the light illuminates a plurality of different colors.
 6. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tracking device.
 7. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 6, wherein the tracking device includes at least one uniquely coded tag secured to the at least one storage carrier and at least one sensor in communication with the computer system, wherein the at least one sensor detects the location of the at least one carrier by detecting the uniquely coded tag.
 8. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the uniquely coded tag includes a radio-frequency identification tag and the at least one sensor includes a radio-frequency identification sensor.
 9. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of radio-frequency identification sensors.
 10. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the uniquely coded tag includes a bar code and the at least one sensor is a bar code reader.
 11. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one bar of the rack-like structure is horizontal.
 12. The prescription storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rack-like structure includes a plurality of bars that are spaced apart from one another.
 13. The prescription storing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bar includes an electrically conductive portion that operably engages a matching electrically conductive portion on the mounting portion when the mounting portion is positioned on the bar.
 14. The prescription storing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bar includes electrically conductive portions that operably engage matching electrically conductive portions on the mounting portion when the mounting portion is positioned on the bar.
 15. A method of manufacturing a prescription storage apparatus, comprising: coupling a computer to memory for storing a database that contains unique identifiers associated with at least one prescription; coupling a transmitter to the computer, the transmitter for transmitting signals that include at least one of the unique identifiers; assembling a rack-like structure having at least one bar; assembling at least one storage carrier identified by at least one unique identifier, the at least one storage carrier operably securable to the at least one bar of the rack-like structure, the at least one storage carrier including a mounting portion for operably securing the at least one storage carrier to the rack-like structure and a receptacle portion for receiving at least one prescription, the at least one storage carrier further including: a receiver for receiving signals emitted by the transmitter; and a transducer that is activated when the receiver receives a signal that includes the unique identifier associated with the at least one storage carrier.
 16. The method of manufacturing a prescription storage apparatus of claim 15, further including the step of the providing an electrically conductive portion on the rack-like structure that operably engages mating electrically conductive portions on the mounting portion of the storage carrier when the mounting portion is detachably secured to the rack-like structure. 